Possible Exiguobacterium sibiricum skin infection in human.

Abstract

To the Editor: The genus Exiguobacterium was first described in 1983 by Collins et al., who characterized the species E. aurantiacum (1). Since then, 9 new species have been added: E. acetylicum, E. antarcticum, E. undae, E. oxidotolerans, E. aestuarii, E. marinum, E. mexicanum, E. artemiae, and E. sibiricum (2,3). The genus Exiguobacterium belongs to the group of coryneform bacteria, which encompasses aerobically growing, non–spore-forming, irregularly shaped, gram-positive rods (2). Exiguobacterium spp. have been isolated from a wide range of habitats, including cold and hot environments (3). Although strains of Exiguobacterium spp. have been isolated from human clinical specimens (e.g., skin, wounds, and cerebrospinal fluid), the clinical significance of these bacteria is poorly understood (4). We present a case of cutaneous infection possibly caused by E. sibiricum.